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Due to popular demand, one more round of Mini-Portrait-Sessions is now available! Book yours while they last...

These sessions are great for families, couples, doggies, head-shots, kiddos, modeling, maternity, you name it. It's a bit of double-whammy goodness : You get 40% off normal portrait session prices, AND 100% of the proceeds will go directly towards post-production of "Where There Once Was Water", Brittany's first feature-length documentary film.

Here's how it works:

1) You donate $200 to "Where There Once Was Water" (from the dropdown menu) on the Ecologistics Donation page….. HERE

2) You pick a desired date/time/location slot from the following list:

4) I give you a Mini Portrait Session (approx 30 minutes) on the date/time/location you select. Approximately 2 weeks after our shoot, I deliver to you an online gallery of high-res image files, complete with 16+ final images, BW & color, ready for print & web….

5) Taa Daa! Everybody is stoked! You get a portrait session at approx 40% OFF the regular price (16-proof sessions are normally priced at $350 plus tax). And you help bring "Where There Once Was Water" to life!

Only the 12 spots listed above will be available. First come, first served. Please be sure to indicate your desired time slot/s when forwarding me your donation receipt. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for your un-ending love and support on this project. Cheers!

These sessions are great for families, couples, doggies, head-shots, kiddos, modeling, maternity, you name it. It's a bit of double-whammy goodness : You get 40% off normal portrait session prices, AND 100% of the proceeds will go directly towards post-production of "Where There Once Was Water", Brittany's first feature-length documentary film.

Here's how it works:

1) You donate $200 to "Where There Once Was Water" (from the dropdown menu) on the Ecologistics Donation page….. HERE

2) You pick a desired date/time/location slot from the following list:

4) I give you a Mini Portrait Session (approx 30 minutes) on the date/time/location you select. Approximately 2 weeks after our shoot, I deliver to you an online gallery of high-res image files, complete with 16 final images, BW & color, ready for print & web….

5) Taa Daa! Everybody is stoked! You get a portrait session at approx 40% OFF the regular price (16-proof sessions are normally priced at $350 plus tax). And you help bring "Where There Once Was Water" to life!

Only the 22 spots listed above will be available. First come, first served. Please be sure to indicate your desired time slot/s when forwarding me your donation receipt. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for your un-ending love and support on this project. Cheers!

This Friday : Come out to play!

Gallery 2G is excited to present Brittany Anzel App's newest collection of haunting and hopeful images from her current documentary film project“Where There Once Was Water”.

Mark your calendars for Friday, March 2nd from 6-9pm for Brittany's Art Opening & Fundraiser Party at Studio2G in SLO. Light refreshments will be served. Come on by (and bring your friends!) to this free, kid-friendly event.

All proceeds from print sales will go towards post-production of "Where There Once Was Water", and to our water-warrior colleagues at DigDeep.

Brittany's work will be on display for two months at Studio2G. Studio2G Architects : 1540 Marsh St, Ste 230, SLORSVP for the event HERE

Welcome 2018

I've been mindful thus far, and it feels right & good to be living life by design. I start each week by scheduling my priorities. They come in the form of mountaintops, conversations, and time spent with my feet in the sand. The film is growing, maturing, and inspiring me, every day. I remain immensely grateful for your support, your friendship, and your company on this wild ride. Onward!

And now for the Drumroll... the news I've been busting at the seams to share... the best upgrade this film could possibly receive... Ladies & Gentlemen... we have an EDITOR!!!

In 2010 I pedaled a bicycle across the United States of America to raise money for WaterAid International. (which was beyond awesome, by the way - best bike ride EVER). My companion on that epic journey was none other than Garrett Russell, a good friend from Semester at Sea days, a badass filmmaker & editor, and a fully radical human. Today I am beyond stoked to announce that the one-and-only Garrrrrrrrrr, as we affectionately refer to him, is back in town, and he's going to edit this film like nobody's business. His expertise & story-telling skills are treasured & much needed, and the magic & excitement around here is growing every day. We are excited to continue sharing this story with you as it unfolds.... Yeeee!

In other exciting news... Please Save the Date!for a fun "Where There Once Was Water"

Art Show & Fundraiser Party

It was my honor to document the local Women's March Event on January 20th in San Luis Obispo. To see the full collection of images, and to download any that you'd like to keep (my gift to you), please visit the online gallery.

In January I also had the great honor of participating in a community dinner hosted by Edible SLO Magazine, featuring Florencia Ramirez, the author of "Eat Less Water". Florencia read passages from her book, alongside local dry-farmer John DeRosier, and spoke to us about the importance of food quality, dry farming, biodynamics, soil health, buying local, and knowing your farmer. 70% of the world's fresh water goes towards agriculture, so we really do have immense potential in this area to reduce our water footprint, both locally and globally.

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

Each year, in honor of our beloved friends, family & colleagues, and in lieu of physical presents, my husband and I donate money to some of our favorite non-profits. Sooo, Merry Christmas! As our gift to You & to the Collective this year, our sharing went towards the following three groups....

A small group based in LA, working to elevate the lives of people in Navajo Nation, through the installation of basic running water systems in their homes. Roughly 1.3 million Americans still don’t have hot and cold running water, a bathtub or shower or a working flush toilet. DigDeep is on a mission to change that, and is working to give running water to the whole town of Baca, New Mexico, for Christmas this year.

A global, grassroots network of women who are reforesting the planet through monthly giving, and encouraging us all to make “giving back to the planet” a normal everyday part of our lives. This reforestation of our tropical forests is a collective expression of planetary care, and in November we joined them in what will now be an ongoing monthly gift towards this effort.

This is a crew of filmmakers based in Ojai, CA, who are making a big difference in this world through their art and storytelling. I had the pleasure of meeting some of their crew at Standing Rock. They recently lost everything (their home, their studios, their equipment, their footage) in the Thomas Fire, and we donated funds towards their recovery.

We love you, and we want to thank you for being a continual source of love and inspiration in our lives. In this season of giving, our hope is to give generously, from both our hearts and our wallets, in a few of the many places where the need is great…

I've missed you....

What a wild ride 2017 has been. Thank you... for holding on, holding steady, and maintaining crazy amounts of patience with me as I wade through these unknown waters. I have much to share, and want to begin by sincerely apologizing for the many months that have gone by since my last update. I'm not sure how that happened, but it most definitely did. Now let's get to the good stuff!

We are amidst a powerful time of year. Every year, November feels intense, in a way that I cherish & honor. As if the leaves falling from the trees are asking me to let go. Let go of what no longer serves me. Make space. Go inward.

Over these past two weeks I have been remembering vividly my time at Standing Rock. I was there on the day we call "Thanksgiving". On the banks of the Cannonball River in North Dakota, Bill, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux, raised his arms to show that he was unarmed and in prayer, as law enforcement stood fully armed on top of the tribe’s sacred mountain. On land that belongs to the Sioux, on a day in which we typically and naively celebrate the massacre and genocide of Native Americans, these tribes & their allies were gathered to pray for the water. I remain utterly grateful for the opportunity to stand with them, to learn from them, and to share their stories. If you would like to watch some of the stories I brought home from Standing Rock, please visit my Vimeo page.

In September I attended the National Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa, (just before terrible wildfires ravaged the region). If you're interested in seeds, seed sovereignty, permaculture, biodynamics, local food, or regenerative agriculture, this is a great event to put on your radar for next year. It's like a feast for the farmer/foodie senses, and there is many a brilliant human to dive into conversation with.

If you'd like to see a short film about the fires that devastated the region, I recommend this one by my dear friend and fellow filmmaker, Emmett Brennan...Reflection : A California Fire Story

I was fortunate to attend the annual Bioneers Conference in San Rafael - which is a conference like no other. I left feeling full to the brim. I got to meet Amy Goodman (holy crap you guys, Amy Goodman!), and I had the immense honor of diving into conversation on camera with some greats in the water world...

Andy Lipkis - Founder & President of TreePeople, working to restore Los Angeles

Clare DuBois - Goddess, Whirlwind of Inspiration & Founder of TreeSisters, working to plant a billion trees a year globally, encouraging each of us to give back to nature.

and last but certainly not least....Mark DuBois - Co-Founder of Friends of the River and lifelong river advocate, well-known for chaining himself to a rock at the base of the Stanislaus River to protest the filling of New Melones Reservoir.

Over the past few months I've been digging deep. I've been feeding my mind, nourishing my soul, and doing research through a rediscovered love of... books, books, books! Here are a few of the titles I've devoured this year... most of them focused around water, some focused on the bodies & minds we will need to cultivate to get where we must go, all of them highly recommended.....

(and if you find yourself grubbing on this list and want more, you can keep up with my reading list on Instagram or Facebook by searching the hashtag #brittanyappbooklist)

Finally, in addition to promising you that I'll send out updates more often than every six months, (I will!), I have some reeeallllyyy exciting news to share with you... soon. To tantalize your tastebuds a bit... it has to do with post-production, and a collaboration that will have the potential to move mountains. I am THRILLED.

It's a crazy journey to be on... making this film... everything is admittedly taking longer than I anticipated, but it couldn't be moving along more perfectly. I have surrendered to a power mightier than myself, and I'm holding on for the ride. Much Love y'all. Thank you, truly, for being with me on this sacred journey...

If you haven't had a chance to view the 19-minute sneak preview that we shared at the 2017 SLO Film Fest, we invite you to do so, and to share it far and wide.... and then keep your eyes and ears peeled for the feature-length film, coming Fall of 2018.

2017 has been full (overflowing, in fact), and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for being you. Thank you for your curiosity, your support, your work, your contributions towards making this planet a better place for all life.

There is much good work on the horizon, and I look forward to sharing the filmmaking experience with you as we work through the final stages of production this summer for "Where There Once Was Water", and then into post-production in the fall. We've had a great response to the short sneak-preview, and look forward to bringing you an epic feature-length film in 2018. Onward!

Best in SLO : Best Photographer

Holy wow! I am incredibly honored to have been voted the "Best Photographer in SLO County" by the readers of the New Times. This is an honor beyond words, as the talent runs thick here in SLO County amongst my fellow photographers. I am surrounded and inspired by so many incredible artists here, and appreciate each and every one of you for creating and sharing your beauty with the world in your own unique & perfect way. I am humbled, grateful, and honored for your love, my friends. Truly. Thank you.

We have a Fiscal Sponsor! Where There Once Was Water is now officially sponsored by awesome local non-profit, Ecologistics (pictured above). Thanks to their support, we can now accept larger donations on a tax-deductible basis, as well as apply for grants to help cover the costs of finishing this film. We are both thrilled & honored that Ecologistics has chosen to support us in this way. If you would like to discuss financial support of the film, please reach out to me anytime.

As you'll see in this update, there's a lot to catch up on. And If you haven't had a chance to view the 19-minute sneak preview, we invite you to do so today! We'd LOVE to hear what you think of the focus and storyline so far....

I spent a week in Sonoma County in March, and a couple of beautiful days at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center - one day as a volunteer in the garden, getting dirt underneath my fingernails - and one day cruising around with Brock Dolman, chatting about the importance of managing our watersheds as a whole - and getting into the nitty gritty of what it really means to "slow it, spread it, sink it, store it, share it."

While up in Sonoma County, I also participated in a three day workshop with Mark Shepard & Spencer Smith, learning about Restoration Agriculture & Holistic Management, and proceeded to have my mind blown. Seriously. I left this workshop feeling inspired, empowered, curious, hopeful, urgent, and capable, of participating in the revolution that we so badly need.

My husband participated in the Big Sandy Bike Race on the San Joaquin River Gorge Trail in April, which gave us an opportunity to go back and visit the San Joaquin River Gorge in the spring, and it was jaw-dropping. Electric greens everywhere - exuberant from the wet winter. Temperance Flat Dam threatens this beautiful area.... Find out more through Friends of the River.

I spent a day with the folks from Hortau. We toured Deardorff Family Farms in Ventura, and I learned about the benefits of using Hortau's high-tech soil sensors on a commercial-scale organic farm, particularly in regards to total water use. I filmed a celery harvest, and came away even more appreciative of where my food comes from.

In April I spent a couple of days in the field with DigDeep, a non-profit working to improve the lives of families in Navajo Nation. While driving out onto the reservation from Thoreau, New Mexico, with Darlene, the Water Lady, in her water truck, I learned about some of the harsh realities of life in Navajo Nation. Over 40% of families do not have running water or electricity. Darlene fills up her truck every day, and delivers water to homes - for free - into cisterns, barrels, buckets. The need is so great that she can only make it to each home once a month. If the family runs out of water before Darlene's return, they must haul it themselves, a round trip of 100 miles for some. This reality, in 2017, hurts. We can do better than this. We need to stand up, and do more for each other, and specifically for our Nation's First Peoples. Learn more about the work DigDeep is doing HERE.

Tablas Creek, oh my goodness, Tablas Creek. I cannot wait to share all the beauty (and adorableness) that is Tablas Creek Vineyard. There's no way that you're not going to love these people and all that they do for the land and the community. (and I got to see their new baby llama!! you guys!)

The sneak-preview showing at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival was a huge success, and I remain crazy honored for the opportunity to have participated in the SLO Film Fest as a Filmmaker, even though this project is very much still in production. Thank you to the good folks at SLOIFF for your love & support - it really means the world.

I also had a great showing at the Bay Theatre in Morro Bay, CA, as a follow up to SLOIFF. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements in the future about screenings & fundraiser parties - there will be many opportunities in the coming year to participate, and we wouldn't want to do it without you, truly.

I'd like to finish today's rather long update (thanks for hanging with me, wow) with an image from the March for Science in San Luis Obispo. I've been inspired by our local marches - for a small town we've really been speaking up, and for that, SLO County, you should be proud! Let's keep it up!

(If you'd like to view and/or download images from the march for personal use, the entire gallery is available to you HERE, as my gift to you).

Her sign reads: "You will die of old age. I may die from climate change."

A sneak-preview of "Where There Once Was Water" will play to a SOLD-OUT crowd at the Octagon Barn in SLO tonight at 7pm as part of the 2017 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. As you can imagine, we are supremely excited!

I remain incredibly humbled & grateful to every single person who has helped in this endeavor in any way... there are MANY of you. It truly takes a village, and I feel honored to be surrounded & supported by one of the best villages on the planet, truly. xo

For those who don't have tickets to tonight's show, have no fear! Due to popular demand, we will be launching this Sneak-Preview on our website on World Water Day, March 22nd. And our trusty & beloved Kickstarter backers will get their own extra-sneaky-preview a day early on March 21st.

** A special note for our Kickstarter Backers**Due to some new developments in the story of California Water, and our desire to tell a thorough and balanced story, we have extended our production timeline a bit. We expect to complete the feature-length film in Summer of 2018, and will keep you updated along the way. Depending on your backer reward level, some of you will receive an invite to a private screening when the film is complete. But for now, have no fear, you have not missed your private showing. :) This opportunity from the SLO Film Fest was a rare (and incredibly generous!) one, and it gave us a great deadline to work towards. This has resulted in a fabulous 18-minute rough-draft sneak-preview that we can now share with the world as we move forward in production towards our final film. Exciting stuff, to say the least!

Again, I thank you, from the depths of my being. I cannot wait to share a peek into this incredibly journey with you... Much Love, my friends. xo